HILLSIDE, NJ—NJIT and No. 21 Fairleigh Dickinson played to a 1-1 men’s soccer double overtime draw Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at Kean University East Campus Facility.
NJIT moves to 5-1-2 after the 1-1 double overtime draw while the Knights, who entered the match undefeated and ranked in the Top-25 Men’s Soccer Nation Poll, move to 5-0-1 on the season.
“We played well for 110 minutes dominating in the possession by a large margin and statistically in all categories, but we came up short in our final shot in around the 18 yard box,” second-year head coach Fernando Barboto added. “In the end it was a game we should of won.”
Fairleigh Dickinson scored in the thirty-fifth minute on a penalty kick by Ahu Obhakhan while NJIT scored the equalizer in the seventy-seventh minute on a goal by Paulino Marques.
NJIT goalkeeper Victor Pujades recorded four saves while FDU counterpart Tiago Capela notched six saves in 110 minutes of action.
Senior Mamadou Guirassy, the nation’s leading scorer, combined for eight shots and one shot on goal but couldn’t find the back of the net for NJIT.
The Highlanders closest chance to score in the overtime, came in the 109th minute as Guirassy received the ball inside the box from Andrew Nino, turned and fired quickly but his shot went wide.
Pujades made an exceptional diving save in the twenty-second minute on a shot outside the 18 by Fairleigh Dickinson’s Jacob Labovitz.
Fairleigh Dickinson got on the board in the thirty-fifth minute on a penalty kick by Ahu Obhakhan, his fourth of the season.
Two close scoring opportunities for NJIT came in the thirty-seventh minute, on a shot by Furkan Kokcu from just above the box, which sailed high and in the fortieth minute as freshman Carlos Garcia came inches away from scoring inside the box; however, his shot was saved by the Knights keeper.
In the forty-second minute, the home team had two more chances to score inside the box, on a shot blocked by defender Hugo Espuela and a shot saved by Fairleigh Dickinson’s Capela, on a shot from the top of the box by Andrew Nino.
An early scoring opportunity for the Highlanders came in the first minute of the second half, when freshman Thomas Radon‘s header off a cross went high.
In the forty-ninth minute, Guirassy settled the ball inside the box off an initial shot but FDU’s Capela made a one-footed save.
Guirassy with another opportunity in the fifty-fifth minute, after a long serve from freshman Pablo Jimenez from the midfield, floated over the Knights defense. Guirassy settled and shot high on a tough angle.
The Highlanders got on the board in the seventy-seventh minute on a goal by Paulino Marques, his first of the season. Marques rebounded the initial shot that was taken by Pablo Jimenez and scored inside the box to the left of the diving keeper. Jimenez was credited with the assist.
In the eighty-fifth minute, Guirassy nearly put the Highlanders ahead after a hard shot from outside the box but the ball curled to the right of the frame.
The shots favored NJIT, 21-9 and corner kicks 17-3.
NJIT will open ASUN Conference action on Wednesday at 1pm, hosting USC Upstate at Kean University’s East Campus Facility.
